Method and apparatus for providing numerical control information

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for generating numerical control information for numerically controlling machine tools. Contents of corrective editing or correction to numerical control information by a processing operator is written and stored in a processing method database as processing knowledge of the processing engineer. When a programmer generates new numerical control information, a suitable processing method can be used from the processing method database. The knowledge included processing conditions by the processing operator. The information in the processing method database is updated at each and every processing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for generatingnumerical control information by first writing and storing, as aprocessing method database, changes to a processing method extractedfrom numerical control information and to a processing method extractedduring a processing operation using numerical control information andthen searching for and using a suitable processing method based on theprocessing method database.

2. Description of the Related Art

An operation of a numerical control machine tool can be automaticallycontrolled by inputting numerical control information and is recentlyused in a wide variety of fields such as microprocessors, powerelectronics, and as a computer controlled machine tool (CNC machinetool) by combining with software.

Typically, numerical control information such as an NC program isconstructed from a tool changing instruction, a spindle speedinstruction, a cutting rate instruction, a feedrate instruction, an axismovement/interpolation instruction, and a miscellaneous functioninstruction, etc., and numerical control information suitable for amachine tool which is the processing control object is generated eachtime.

Generally, the numerical control information is automatically generatedat a programming room by inputting raw material data and final componentshape (or processing element for forming the final component shape) to anumerical control information generating apparatus such as a CAM and anautomatic programming apparatus. More specifically, the numericalcontrol information generating apparatus automatically determines asequence of work elements required to complete the input processingelement (or a processing element automatically identified from the inputfinal component shape), then determines tools to be used, cuttingcondition, and processing operation pattern for each of the determinedwork elements, and finally, automatically generates a numerical controlinformation which includes, as mentioned above, a tool changinginstruction, a spindle speed instruction, a cutting rate instruction, afeedrate instruction, an axis movement/interpolation instruction, and amiscellaneous function instruction, etc., based on the determinedprocessing method.

The above mentioned numerical control information generating apparatusgenerally refers to a processing method database which includes thedetermination rules when it determines the work elements, tools, cuttingconditions, and processing operation patterns. A programmer using thenumerical control information generating apparatus needs to perform somemaintenance work such as continuously updating the processing methoddatabase in order to obtain a desired determination result.

The numerical control information generated at the programming room, onthe other hand, is transported to the processing site and is most oftencorrected by a processing operator. In practice, the processing operatorinputs the numerical control information given from the programming roomto the CNC machine tool, adjusts (corrects and edits) the numericalcontrol information by repeating test cuttings, completes the numericalcontrol information to be finally used in the processing, and uses thenumerical control information for processing control of the machinetool.

In a processing of a component with a small lot number, there are caseswhere the processing operator would not correct or edit the numericalcontrol information, but instead, complete component processing for adesired number for the lot by correcting the cutting condition usingvarious operation switches on the NC operation panel, such as a feedrateoverride switch, etc.

In order to use the contents of the corrective editing and correctionmanipulation that are performed by the processing operator as processingknow-how of a processing engineer who actually performs the processingwork for the next numerical control information generation, thisknowledge must be reflected in the processing method database of thenumerical control information generating apparatus in the programmingroom. However, this reflection of knowledge requires the programmer tospecify, sort, classify, and execute the correction content each timethe processing operator makes a correction. Thus, in practice, thisreflection has not been performed. As a result, quality improvement ofthe numerical control information could not be achieved, and for eachand every processing, the processing operator must repeat the correctiveediting and correction operation.

When a CNC machine tool user who had been manually generating thenumerical control information decides to introduce a numerical controlinformation generating apparatus to improve efficiency, he willencounter the following difficulty.

Initial data, which is determined by the maker of the apparatus, isinstalled as the processing method database when the apparatus is firstintroduced. This initial data is usually not suited to the user'sparticular processing method. Therefore, the user must sort and classifythe processing knowledge that has been accumulated while he generatedthe numerical control information manually and customize the processingmethod database based on the result of the sorting and classification.This process itself requires a lot of labor and man power.

As explained above, in the conventional numerical control informationgenerating apparatus, it was not easy to immediately reflect thecorrection to the numerical control information in the processing methoddatabase based on experience and knowledge of the processing operatorobtained from using the CNC machine tool to perform the processing work.Also, it was not easy to newly customize the processing method databasebased on the processing know-how accumulated over the years by a CNCmachine tool user.

The present invention is conceived to solve the above-mentioned problemand an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus forgenerating suitable numerical control information by writing andstoring, in a processing method database, a numerical controlinformation corrective edited by a processing operator or a processingmethod extracted from numerical control information used for a longperiod of time, searching a suitable processing method through theprocessing method database when a programmer newly generates a numericalcontrol information, and using the search result. Another object of thepresent invention is to provide an apparatus for generating a suitablenumerical control information by writing and storing, in the processingmethod database, extracted operation interrupting manipulation performedby a processing operator during the processing operation through variousswitches on the NC manipulation panel and the processing condition thathas been changed, searching for a suitable processing method through theprocessing method database when a programmer newly generates a numericalcontrol information, and using the search result.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus and method according to the present invention comprise:means or a step for writing and storing a work expansion model extractedfor each processing element type based on numerical control informationas a work expansion database; means or a step for writing and storing atool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern for eachwork element type based on the numerical control information as a workmethod database; means or a step for specifying the processing elementtype; means or a step for searching through the work expansion databasefor the work expansion model suited to the specified processing elementtype; means or a step for searching though the work method database fora tool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern requiredfor processing of each of the work elements used by the searched workexpansion model; and means or a step for generating numerical controlinformation using the searched result.

According to another aspect of the present invention, measurementinformation measured by a measuring device is added to the workexpansion model to be written and stored in the work expansion database,the means for specifying the processing element type is means capable ofspecifying both the processing element type and the processingprecision, the means for searching the work expansion model is means forsearching through the work expansion database for the work expansionmodel corresponding to the specified processing element type andprocessing precision, and the means for searching tools, cuttingconditions, or processing operation patterns required for the processingis means for searching the tools, cutting conditions, or processingoperation patterns corresponding to the specified processing precision.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda numerical control information generating apparatus and method having awork method database for determining a cutting condition or a processingoperation pattern of a work element, for generating numerical controlinformation based on the cutting condition or the processing operationpattern determined by using the work method database, the numericalcontrol information generating apparatus and method comprising: means ora step for writing and storing changed cutting condition or processingoperation pattern using the numerical control information as anoperation interrupting manipulation history database; and means or astep for generating numerical control information giving higherpriorities to the changed cutting conditions and processing operationpatterns stored in the operation interrupting manipulation historydatabase when numerical control information is generated based on thecutting conditions or the processing operation patterns determined byusing the work method database.

The present invention also includes a medium in which computer programsfor executing each of the steps are stored.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a processing method database according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 shows another example of a processing method database accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows yet another example of a processing method database.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a processing method database and an operationinterrupting manipulation history database according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 shows another example of a processing method database and anoperation interrupting manipulation history database.

FIG. 7 shows an example of processing method data of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are describedhereinafter referring to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a numerical control informationgenerating apparatus according to the present invention connected to anumerical control section 20, a processing method analyzing section 21,and an operation interrupting manipulation monitoring section 23. Thenumerical control information generating apparatus generates and outputsnumerical control information 19 and the numerical control section 20executes a numerical control operation of a machine tool (not shown)based on the numerical control information 19.

The processing method analyzing section 21 is described in a previouslyfiled application, “Analytical Method and Apparatus of NC Program in NCProcessing” (PCT/JP96/03264), and has a function to read the numericalcontrol information 19 and to extract processing elements, work elementsrequired for completing the processing element, tools needed for each ofthe work elements, processing operation patterns, and cutting conditionsfrom the numerical control information.

The operation interrupting manipulation monitoring section 23 isdescribed in a previously filed application, “Operation ManipulationHistory Collecting Method and Apparatus” (PCT/JP98/03746), and has afunction to monitor and extract changing operations of the cuttingcondition and of the processing operation, executed by the operatorduring the processing operation following the numerical controlinformation 19.

The processing method analyzing section 21 and the operationinterrupting manipulation monitoring section 23 can be incorporated intothe numerical control apparatus including the numerical control section20, can be separate devices from the numerical control apparatus, orincorporated into the numerical control information generatingapparatus. The numerical control section 20 can be integrated with thenumerical control information generating apparatus. In the presentinvention, there is no need to limit the combination and structure ofthese sections.

A programmer for generating a numerical control information inputsmaterial information data and component shape data through a materialinformation specifying section 1 and a component shape specifyingsection 2. It is also possible to input the material information dataand the component shape data without human intervention, by using CADetc.

A processing element extracting section 3 extracts a processing elementtype, processing dimension, and processing precision required forcompleting the desired component processing from the materialinformation data and the component shape data, and writes to aprocessing method data section 15 as processing element information. Theprogrammer can also directly input, as the processing elementinformation, the processing element type, processing dimension, andprocessing precision required for completing the desired componentprocessing to the processing method data section 15 through a processingelement specifying section 4. In this manner, the processing elementinformation is first written to the processing method data section 15through either the processing element extracting section 3 or processingelement specifying section 4.

Then, a work expansion model searching section 5 reads the processingelement information written in the processing method data section 15,searches for a work expansion model required for completing theprocessing element through a processing method database 16, and if thereis a suitable work expansion model, notifies a work element generatingsection 6 of the model. The work element generating section 6 writes thework element information used in the work expansion model to theprocessing method data section 15. If no suitable work expansion modelis found, the programmer directly inputs the work element informationthrough a processing method specifying section 14. When a plurality ofwork expansion models are found, the programmer selects one of the workexpansion models and inputs the work element information through theprocessing method specifying section 14.

Then, a tool searching section 7 identifies suitable tools forprocessing the work element written to the processing method datasection 15 by searching through the processing method database 16 andnotifies a tool generating section 8 of the tool information about thetools. The tool generating section 8 searches through an available tooldatabase 9 for a tool that conforms with the notified tool informationand if there is such a tool, writes the tool information to theprocessing method database 15. If there are no tool or a plurality oftools, the programmer either directly inputs the tool information orselects one of the tools and inputs the tool information through theprocessing method specifying section 14.

Next, a processing operation pattern searching section 10 identifies aprocessing operation pattern suited for processing the work elementwritten in the processing method data section 15 by the tool writtenalso in the data section 15 by searching through the processing methoddatabase 16 and notifies a processing operation pattern generatingsection 11 of the processing operation pattern information. If nosuitable processing operation pattern is found after searching, theprocessing operation pattern searching section 10 identifies, bysearching again, a processing operation pattern for a case where thesame work element is processed by a similar tool and notifies theprocessing operation pattern generating section 11 of the processingoperation pattern information. The processing operation patterngenerating section 11 writes the notified processing operation patterninformation to the processing method data section 15.

Then, a cutting condition searching section 12 identifies a suitablecutting condition for processing the work element using tools by theprocessing operation pattern, all of which are written in the processingmethod data section 15, by searching the processing method database 16and notifies a cutting condition generating section 13 of the cuttingcondition information. If no suitable cutting condition is found duringthe search, the cutting condition searching section 12 identifies, bysearching again, a cutting condition for a case where the same workelement is processed by a similar tool and notifies the cuttingcondition generating section 13 of the cutting condition information.The cutting condition generating section 13 writes the notified cuttingcondition information to the processing method data section 15.

In this manner, the processing element information, the work elementinformation, the tool information, the processing operation patterninformation, and the cutting condition information, all of which matchthe processing element information are sequentially written to theprocessing method data section 15. The programmer can rewrite thisinformation written by each of the searching and generating sections,through the processing method specifying section 14 as he desires.

Finally, a numerical control information generating section 17 readsinformation about the work element, the tool, the processing operationpattern, and the cutting condition from the processing method datasection 15 and generates numerical control information 19 for each workelement. During this procedure, the numerical control informationgenerating section 17 identifies, for each of the work elements, ifthere has been changes by the operator on the cutting conditions or onthe processing operation patterns during the processing operation bysearching an operation interrupting manipulation history database 18.When there is any change history, the changes are given higherpriorities than the cutting conditions and the processing operationpatterns written in the processing method data section 15 and thenumerical control information 19 is generated based on the cuttingconditions and processing operation patterns written in the operationinterrupting manipulation history database 18.

The procedures for generating the numerical control information 19 hasbeen described referring to FIG. 1. The processing method database 16and processing method database generating section 22, and the operationinterrupting manipulation history database 18 and operation interruptingmanipulation database generating section 24 shown in FIG. 1 aredescribed hereinafter referring to the FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the processing method database and indicatesthat each processing element has link information to the processingprecision, the processing dimension, and the work expansion model forcompleting the processing element as detailed information and linkinformation to the detailed information for the same processing elementbut different processing precision, different processing dimension, anddifferent work expansion model. FIG. 2 shows a case where only onedetailed information item is present as a drill hole processing element.If new work element, tool, processing operation pattern, and cuttingcondition are extracted for a new drill hole processing element byanalyzing the numerical control information 19 by the processing methodanalyzing section 21, the processing method database generating section22 updates the processing method database for the drill hole processingelement based on the various extracted information. FIG. 3 shows a casewhere new detailed information for the drill hole processing element isadded to the case of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows information about a work expansion model linked at the linkinformation to a work expansion model of each of the processingelements. For example, the work expansion model linked at the connection4-1 for drill hole processing element is shown to perform the centeroperation and beveling operation as a first work element and to executethe drill work element as a second work element. Moreover, for each ofthe work elements, link information is present for the tool required forthe processing, the processing operation pattern using the tool, and thecutting condition for operating the tool in the processing operationpattern.

FIG. 5 shows linked information of the tool required for processing andprocessing operation pattern, linked from each of the work elements. Forexample, the figure shows that the type of the center and beveling workelement linked at a connection 5-1 is a drill, the material ishigh-speed steel, and the drill radius which is the tool dimension is30.0 mm, and that the processing operation pattern of the hole circleend mill work element linked at a connection 5-18 is the hole circlecycle.

FIG. 5 further shows change information of the processing operationpattern linked from each of the work elements, the change informationbeing a portion of the operation interrupting manipulation historydatabase 18, shown in FIG. 1. The figure shows that the processingoperation pattern of the drill work element linked at a connection 5-17is changed from a drill cycle to a deep hole drill cycle by an operationinterrupting manipulation of an operator during the processingoperation. When the processing operation pattern is changed by such anoperation interrupting manipulation of an operator during the processingoperation, the operation interrupting manipulation monitoring section 23extracts the change content and the operation interrupting manipulationdatabase generating section 24 databases the changes as an operationinterrupting manipulation database 18, as already mentioned.

FIG. 6 shows cutting conditions linked from each of the work elements.For example, it is shown that the cutting speed of the drill workelement linked at a connection 6-2 is 100 m/min, the cutting depth 5.0mm, and the feedrate 0.15 mm/rev. The figure also shows that, for thedrill work element linked at the connection 6-2, the feedrate overrideis changed to 120% by an operation interrupting manipulation of anoperator during the processing operation and that, for a drill workelement linked at a connection 6-7, a manual returning manipulation isperformed when the processing depth has reached 30.0 mm by an operationinterrupting manipulation of an operator during the processingoperation. These changes are, as already stated, extracted by theoperation interrupting manipulation monitoring section 23 and is madeinto a database as an operation interrupting manipulation database 18 atthe operation interrupting manipulation database generating section 24.

Even though the databases have been described in the previousdescription, the structure of the databases used in the presentinvention is not limited to the structure shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, and6, and can be any suitable structure. An example of generation of theprocessing method data is described hereinafter in which the processingmethod database 16 and the operation interrupting manipulation historydatabase 18 have the contents as shown in FIGS. 2 through 6.

If the processing element extracting section 3 or the processing elementspecifying section 4 shown in FIG. 1 writes the processing element type,the processing dimension, and the processing precision as shown in FIG.7 as the processing method data, the work expansion model searchingsection 5 and the work element generating section 6, the tool searchingsection 7 and tool generating section 8, the processing operationpattern searching section 10 and the processing operation patterngenerating section 11, and the cutting condition searching section 12and the cutting condition generating section 13 search through theprocessing method database 16, generating the processing method data asshown by the bold line in FIG. 7.

In the embodiment, the timing for reflecting the cutting condition andthe processing operation pattern changed by the operation interruptingmanipulation of the operator is at the time when the numerical controlinformation generating section 17 generates the numerical controlinformation 19 based on the processing method data section 15. However,there is no restriction to limit the timing to be at that point. Thechanges to the processing operation pattern can be reflected when theprocessing operation pattern searching section 10 searches through theprocessing method database 16 and the operation interruptingmanipulation history database 18 and writes to the processing methoddata section 15. The changes to the cutting condition can be reflectedwhen the cutting condition searching section 12 searches through theprocessing method database 16 and the operation interruptingmanipulation history database 18 and writes to the processing methoddata section 15.

ADVANTAGES

According to the present invention, processing methods extracted from anumerical control information which has been corrected and edited by aprocessing operator or numerical control information which has been usedfor a long period of time can be written and stored in a processingmethod database. When a programmer generates new numerical controlinformation, the programmer can search through the processing methoddatabase for a suitable processing method and can generate a suitablenumerical control information by using the search result. It is alsopossible to write and store extracted operation manipulation and changedprocessing condition performed by a processing operator using variousswitches on the NC manipulation panel during the processing operation toa processing method database. When a programmer generates a newnumerical control information, the programmer can search through theprocessing method database for a suitable processing method and cangenerate suitable numerical control information using the search result.

Thus, by combining the “Analytical Method and Apparatus of an NC Programin NC Processing” (PCT/JP96/03264), “Operation Manipulation HistoryCollecting Apparatus and Method in an NC Processing” (PCT/JP98/03746),(both of which are already filed) and the apparatus and method forgenerating numerical control information according to the presentinvention, the process for the programmer to sort and classify hisknowledge and to incorporate it in the database when introducing anumerical control information generating apparatus will no longer berequired and a database can be generated from the numerical controlinformation that had been used over the years and directly used. Afterintroduction of the apparatus, there is no longer a need for theprogrammer to ask the processing knowledge from the processing operatorfor sorting and classifying, and incorporating into the database. Thedatabase can be updated from the operation interrupting manipulationduring the processing operation and directly used. Furthermore, becausethe database can be updated using the most recent numerical controlinformation at each and every processing and can be used directly, thedatabase will no longer become obsolete.

What is claimed is:
 1. A numerical control information generating apparatus, comprising: means for writing and storing a work expansion model as a work expansion database, said work expansion model extracted for each processing element type based on numerical control information; means for writing and storing a tool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern as a work method database for each work element type based on said numerical control information; means for specifying said processing element type; means for searching through said work expansion database for said work expansion model corresponding to said specified processing element type; means for searching through said work method database for a tool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern required for processing each work element used in said searched work expansion model; and means for generating numerical control information using said searched result.
 2. A numerical control information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, measurement information measured at a measuring device is added to the work expansion model to be written and stored in said work expansion database, said means for specifying the processing element type is means capable of specifying said processing element type and processing recision, said means for searching said work expansion model is means or searching through said work expansion database for said work expansion model corresponding to said specified processing element type and processing precision, and said means for searching a tool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern required for said processing is means for searching a tool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern corresponding to said specified processing precision.
 3. A numerical control information generating apparatus having a work method database for determining a cutting condition or a processing operation pattern of a work element, for generating numerical control information based on a cutting condition or a processing operation pattern determined by using said work method database, said numerical control information generating apparatus comprising: means for writing and storing, as an operation interrupting manipulation history database, a cutting condition or a processing operation pattern which have been changed during a processing operation using said numerical control information; and means for generating numerical control information giving a higher priority to the changed cutting condition or processing operation pattern stored in said operation interrupting manipulation history database when generating numerical control information based on a cutting condition or processing operation pattern determined by using said work method database.
 4. A numerical control information generating method comprising the steps of: writing and storing a work expansion model as a work expansion database, said work expansion model extracted for each processing element type based on a numerical control information; writing and storing a tool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern as a work method database for each work element type based on said numerical control information; specifying said processing element type; searching through said work expansion database for said work expansion model corresponding to said specified processing element type; searching through said work method database for a tool, a cutting condition, or a processing operation pattern required for processing each work element used in said searched work expansion model; and generating numerical control information using said searched result.
 5. A numerical control information generating method in a numerical control information generating apparatus having a work method database for determining a cutting condition or a processing operation pattern of a work element, for generating numerical control information based on a cutting condition or a processing operation pattern determined by using said work method database, said numerical control information generating method comprising the steps of: writing and storing, as an operation interrupting manipulation history database, a cutting condition or a processing operation pattern which have been changed during a processing operation using said numerical control information; and generating numerical control information giving a higher priority to the changed cutting condition or processing operation pattern stored in said operation interrupting manipulation history database when generating numerical control information based on a cutting condition or processing operation pattern determined by using said work method database.
 6. A medium in which computer programs for executing each of the steps for a method according to claim 4 are stored.
 7. A medium in which computer programs for executing each of the steps for a method according to claim 5 are stored. 